How To Choose The Most Flattering Nail Color For Your Skin Tone

There’s a shade of each color that will flatter every skin tone. Once you figure out how to choose what works for you, the more options (and fewer regrets) you’ll have.

Josephine Allen, a manicurist at New York City’s Samuel Shriqui Salon, shows us how.

Study your skin tone.
Regardless of whether you choose a nude, a bright, or a dark, your skin will determine the shade that looks best on your hands. Women with yellow or olive undertones in their skin should choose white or beigy nudes and orange-based brights and darks (such as coral or chocolate), while those with blue undertones should stick with pinkish nudes and blue-tone brights and darks (like fuchsia and deep violet).

If you’re unsure about which category your skin falls into, paint a tomato red on one hand, and a cherry red on the other. If the tomato red is more flattering, you’re a yellow tone. If the cherry red is more flattering, you’re a blue tone.